Bachelor of Arts in ArtSchool of Arts and Sciences

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Imagine outside the lines

As technology grows, the need for creativity, imagination, innovation, and talent also grows. A Bachelor of Arts in Art at Edgewood College develops you as both an artist and a scholar through offering a dynamic combination of highly relevant coursework and foundational studio experiences, such as drawing, painting, photography, and ceramics, that prepare you for a career and advanced study in the visual arts.

With the emergence of digital expression and AI influences, creative careers are forecasted to grow by 3-5% over the next few decades, and jobs in the entertainment industry and performing arts roles are projected to grow by 8%. This is just the beginning of creative expression.

Locations
Madison, WI

Formats
On-campus

Number of Credits
120

Next Start Date
August 28, 2024

Five Art Concentrations Offered

Four-Dimensional: Time-Based

The Four-Dimensional: Time-Based concentration engages students in a comprehensive visual art experience, combining studio and digital experiences with a foundation in art history. Time-based art includes video and performance, digital art, computer animation, and video games.

Photography

With a concentration in Photography, students study a variety of photographic techniques, processes, history, and work of contemporary photographers. Experiential classes include darkroom photography, digital photography, studio portrait photography, and printmaking.

Three-Dimensional

The Three-Dimensional concentration focuses on ceramics and sculpture. Wheel-throwing, hand-building and other traditional processes with the augment of sculpture creation and installation.

Two-Dimensional

Students in the two-dimensional concentration study the traditional areas of art including painting, drawing, and digital and traditional printmaking. Skills are advanced in these areas and bring out contemporary and historical awareness of the discipline.

Generalist

The Generalist concentration involves studio practice across many traditional media and immersion in a broad selection of art history classes.

Careers within Art

$53,140

Average annual salary for an Independent Artist

Projected employment growth rate, from 2022-2032

Bureau of Labor Statistics

A bachelor’s degree in art prepares you for a variety of career paths.

3D Modeler
Art Educator
Curator
Gallery Director
Illustrator
Museum Specialist
Photographer
Studio Artist

Art by the Numbers

14:1

Student to faculty ratio

88%

Job placement rate after graduation

Community partners within Madison

Art Student Spotlight

Bachelor of Arts in Art, Art History minor, Photography concentration

Jami Balicki ‘23

“Through my time at Edgewood College, I was guided to consider questions about who I am and who I aspire to become. Over my four-year journey, I was lucky to cultivate invaluable connections, receive unwavering support, and garner the inspiration necessary to chart my path within the broader narrative of our world. Faculty, such as Dr. Stolte, guided and supported me on my journey into graduate school where I hope to soon earn a Master of Fine Arts degree.”

Featured Courses in Art

Art 255 Modern Art & Design

This course offers an introduction to the lives and work of modern artists and designers in Europe and North America from the mid-nineteenth century through the 1970s. Organized as a chronological survey, this course focuses on the history of modern painting and design with some attention to sculpture, architecture, and modernist experiments in other media, and will emphasize the historical and cultural contexts in which this variety of art has been produced. We will also consider themes of international significance, including ways in which Japanese, Tahitian, African, and other non-Western sources various cultures and countries is shaped by cross-cultural influences and artistic conversations.

Art 271 History of Photography

This course looks at the history of photography as a global phenomenon. From its origins in the 19th century, photography has flourished as a means of fixing a visual record of land, built structures, and people; creating beautiful images; visualizing modernity; communicating globally as well as locally; documenting injustice; and urging action. This course is organized around themes that have been central to the history of photography across cultures; portraiture, images of landscapes, documentation, and artistic expression. Class discussion will emphasize the development of thoughtful and critical approaches to the study of the history of photography and photography as a medium of expression so that the knowledge gained here can be applied to consideration of photographers and their work beyond what is studied in this course.

Art 290 Papermaking

For two thousand years, humankind has created paper by hand. Whatever region in the world, and whatever the intention behind the paper, be it to represent wealth, to carry spirituality, or to convey messages, every fiber that goes into the making of paper has a story. Utilizing an age-old technique of making paper by hand (from old garments and/or cloth, and plant fibers), participants use both traditional and contemporary applications of the paper arts globally, with emphasis on three distinctly different regions of the world: Western Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Once their paper is made, it becomes the foundation for expressive content in the form of hand drawn images, text, photographs, and/or prints – as a means of telling their individual stories. Through hand papermaking, writing, book, and printmaking activities, we will work together to transform significant articles of clothing and plant fibers into works of art that broadcast personal stories, mutual understanding, and healing.

Explore All Courses For This Program

Student Organizations

LOST/FOUND

LOST/FOUND is a publication that is edited and designed that features artwork, fiction, and poetry of Edgewood College undergraduate students. Student editors from the English department and student designers from the art department select the best student creative work to be included each year. Submissions for LOST/FOUND occur from November – January each year and the annual issue is published at the end of April in both digital and printed editions. Explore the featured artwork showcased in the 2023 edition of LOST/FOUND.

Experience London’s Theater and Art History – in London!

As an art major at Edgewood College, you can take your knowledge to another level through an interdisciplinary, course titled London: Theater and Art History. This experiential course will meet on campus during the fall semester and travel to London, England during the winter interim. Study theater and art history within the concepts of social, cultural, and artistic history of London in the classroom and then travel there for two weeks of immersive experiences featuring plays, museums, and cultural sights.

Faculty Spotlights

Ph.D. Sr. Lecturer, Art History

Sarah Stolte

SStolte@edgewood.edu

Senior Adjunct Instructor, Art Department

Jane Fasse

JFassee@edgewood.edu

Senior Adjunct Instructor, Art Department

Renee Gouaux

RGoouaux@edgewood.edu

Associate Professor, Art Department

Alan Luft

ALuft@edgewood.edu

Visiting Professor, Art Therapy, Art Department

Molly Tomony

MTomony@edgewood.edu

Director of the Edgewood College Gallery & Ernest Hupeden’s Painted Forest

David Wells

DavidWells@edgewood.edu

View All Faculty

A Creative Haven for students

The Stream is Edgewood College’s visual and theatre arts center. This dramatic industrial structure is home to the art and theatre art programs, Diane Ballweg Theatre, and Edgewood College Gallery. Within The Stream is a dedicated specialized laboratory-learning classroom for Art Education. Located on the southwest corner of campus, the building overlooks the surrounding woods and Lake Wingra.

The College received Gold LEED certification for the building, which makes it the second LEED-certified building on campus. Edgewood College became the first college or university in Wisconsin for exemplary environmental performance (2006).

Fra Angelico Financial Award

In honor of Fra Angelico, a monetary award is given to an exemplary senior majoring in art. This is an extraordinary student who embodies the highest standards of the art program and the values of Edgewood College through their artistic excellence, academic curiosity, and community engagement.

Dominican Friar and artist Fra Angelico (1395-1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. He is most well-known for his frescos on the walls of the monastery of San Marco in Florence including The Annunciation and St. Dominic at the Cross (1438 – 50) which appear in the Dormitory Corridors as aids to meditation and prayer.

Related Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Art

Will I have opportunity to exhibit my work in the Gallery?

Absolutely! There are several avenues for showcasing your artwork within our gallery spaces. As part of your Senior capstone course, you will have the chance to exhibit your work and engage in an artist talk during an opening reception. Additionally, each spring, the Art Department hosts an annual juried student art exhibit, providing another platform for displaying your creations. Our atrium wall and display case exhibit spaces feature works by both local established artists and our talented students, offering further opportunities for exposure and recognition.

Do students have access to the art studio spaces?

Certainly! As a student in the Art Department, you’ll have exclusive access to our state-of-the-art studio spaces housed in the visual and theater arts building, known as The Stream. Your student ID card will grant you entry, allowing you ample time to dedicate to your projects and explore your creative endeavors according to your schedule.

What are the career outcomes for students in this program?

Students in our studio art program embark on diverse career paths, finding opportunities in galleries, museums, and arts-related community programs. Those with a passion for education can pursue graduate studies in the visual arts, ultimately earning a Master of Fine Arts degree or advanced degrees in Art History, preparing them for roles in college-level teaching and further academic pursuits.

What options are there to double major or add minors?

Many students take advantage of the opportunity to double major or add minors. Within the Art Department, we offer a diverse range of studio art concentrations as part of our major. Additionally, we provide minors in Art History, Photography, and Entrepreneurial Studies. For those interested in pursuing their artistic passions alongside another major, we also offer a Certificate of Art. This certificate allows students from any major outside of the Art Department to complete 12 credits in courses with an ART prefix. It serves as an excellent means to nurture your creativity and demonstrate your artistic abilities to potential employers within your chosen career field.